Taking Advantage of PHP's Built-in Server

PHP 5.4 built-in web server: simplified development and testing

PHP version 5.4 introduces a built-in web server designed for development and testing, allowing developers to write and test code without the need for a full LAMP configuration. This server can also be used to distribute portable web applications on CD-ROM, USB drive, or as desktop applications.

Key points:

• PHP built-in server is not used in production environments, and the PHP manual recommends not to use it in production environments.
• This server is best for development and testing, can be started from the command line, used to test the code, and shut down after completion.
• To use the built-in server, PHP 5.4 or higher must be installed. The server can be tested by creating a basic index.php file and starting the server from the command line. The server can be accessed from the local machine, any interface of the machine, or from a specific IP address.
• The built-in server can be customized to build a portable personal development server, which helps quickly test applications. This custom server can handle routing, header, and HTTP errors and can be started from the application directory with one command.

Many people think PHP itself is a language designed for the web, which is not the case with other languages ​​such as Python and Ruby, so it makes more sense to provide other languages ​​with a basic server environment to help start web development. They would argue that PHP does not require a built-in server. In addition, most systems today have a personal web server preinstalled, or can be installed with a few commands or clicks. In fact, the PHP manual emphasizes that the new built-in server is for development purposes only and advises not to use it in production environments. Apart from one (shading the log output sent for the console), there is no special INI directive for it, and the overall tone of the document seems to be "We have a web server now, too, don't bother us anymore". Still, the server is implemented in version 5.4, and I think it is a valuable tool for both development and testing. For example, on my machine I use Apache preinstalled with OSX and use a custom configuration that suits my development style, but sometimes I want to try some new web applications. Using PHP's built-in server, I can test the application directly from my download or temporary directory and then move it to my regular environment only if I really need it. Well, it's not that simple at first, as many applications are written for Apache and use .htaccess files and mod_rewrite. But I'm sure someone (maybe one of you, why not?) would write an adapter for this feature and I want to be the first to test it. In this article, I will explain some basic usages of a new built-in server and show you how to build a portable personal development server that can be used to quickly test your application. I believe you are just as eager to start as I do, so let's get started!

Using the built-in server

You need to install PHP 5.4 or higher to use the built-in server. To verify your PHP version, call php -v in your terminal. You can then determine if the server is available in your version by running php -h and looking for server-specific -S and -t options. You can test the server by creating a basic phpinfo() file in the current directory that contains the call to index.php and start the server like this:

<code class="language-bash">[ec2-user@ip-10-229-67-156 ~]$ php -S <localhost>:8080</localhost></code>

In your browser, you should now be able to see what the built-in server provides.

Every time the client access, a new log line is written in the console window:

<code>[Sun Feb 26 18:55:30 2012] 80.180.55.37:36318 [200]: /
[Sun Feb 26 18:56:23 2012] 80.180.55.37:36584 [200]: /</code>

Review PHP's command line options, which are used to specify the address the server will bind to. Its value can be: -S

• – The server is accessible only on local machineslocalhost
• – The server can be accessed from any interface of the machine (wired or wireless)0.0.0.0
Any of your public or private IP addresses – the server can only be accessed at specific addresses

Allows you to tell the server to locate its document root directory to another directory. For example: -t

<code class="language-bash">[ec2-user@ip-10-229-67-156 ~]$ php -S <localhost>:8090 -t /home/ec2-user/public</localhost></code>

Alternatively, you can also provide the name of a specific PHP file, such as

or index.php files. router.php

<code class="language-bash">[ec2-user@ip-10-229-67-156 ~]$ php -S <localhost>:8080 -t /home/ec2-user/public public/index.php</localhost></code>

The output of such a routing script will be parsed and executed by the server.

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